Daniel James Brown, Author of The Boys in the Boat

[@rogergrove2453]

My grandfather rowed for UW in 1929-31. At Grandpa Burleigh’s funeral in 2004, my Uncle Pete mentioned that he was most proud of rowing crew for UW. He was a poor dry land football player from Great Falls MT. Grandpa ended up being a MT cattle rancher for most of his life and thankfully grew up on a MT ranch due to my Tough Grandpa! Thank you for this wonderful book!

[@arnoldronning5471]

This is a little late as the video was posted 9 years ago. I am revisiting the topic now because of the imminent premier of George Clooney's screen adaptation of Daniel Brown's book. I like to read, but there are very few books that elicit a visceral reaction the way BOYS IN THE BOAT does. There are many passages in the book where I felt my heart rate elevate, my breathing sped up, and the butterflies were dancing in my gut. As the video reveals, one of the turning points in the whole story is when George Pocock has a conversation with Joe Rantz and challenges him to trust his teammates and to care about them. It is after Joe, whose childhood abandonment has left him with a deep reticence to trust people, decides to take Pocock's advice that the boys really begin to row as a team and win consistently. On a personal note, I rowed for Pacific Lutheran University in the late 80s and 90s. In our boathouse we had several shells and most of them were fiberglass. But there was one old wooden boat in particular, "the Pocock", that we took out fairly routinely. To be honest, we knew it was old, it was heavier, that the slides were not as smooth, and, to be honest, we weren't always thrilled to take our turn in it. We knew that the boat was on loan from the University of Washington, which had a bigger budget and boats to spare. What we did not know at the time was that it was the same boat which the boys had rowed at the 1936 Olympics. Had we known that, I am certain it would have changed our entire perspective. (I found this out when the University of Washington asked for the return of the boat so that it could go on permanent display in their new boathouse about ten years ago.) Oh, I share one other little piece of rowers' nostalgia with those guys: I recall throwing up in Lake Union after rowing through "the cut" that connects Lake Washington and Lake Union and crossing the finish line.

[@webleypug]

This is such a well written book. The author's ability to create suspense throughout the qualifying rounds is remarkable.

[@michaelclarke6402]

I saw this book in Costco and read the prologue and knew I had to read it and now have read it three times. Best book I've read in years

[@JimInNashville]

As a former competitive rower, I consider this book to be a monumental achievement that captures the essence of rowing almost perfectly. Thank you, Mr. Brown, and thanks to all those who helped you!

[@hoagland1943]

I's December of 2023 and I can't wait to see the movie.

[@heycaptjack]

I regret turning down an offer/opportunity to row at a local junior college just out of high school in Southern California. I wonder what it would have been like, but instead I pursued volleyball to play at the NCAA level. Sports changed my life. It helped form me into who’ve I become. I thoroughly enjoyed the book! A must read!

[@glorialouiseboyd6255]

Fantastic reading! I'm now reading "Under A Flaming Sky. This one brings tears! An amazing part of history I never knew.

[@barbararoxas4791]

Thank you so much

[@islflamingo]

Loved the book. What an uplifting story. I got it on a lark what a surprise.

[@maxjordan8816]

when is the movie coming out

[@ThePropertyHatsTeamatRNYRNJ]

Beautiful

[@synbal]

The irony lies in where the book hinges on Joe. If the author had actually sat on a seat in a boat he would have written the book differently - it is about the individuals coming together. My Dad rowed with his brothers but it did not stop him from tearing them apart as he did with me when I rowed..... and won. The most important relationship in the boat is cox and stroke - this is spelt out in the book if you read it carefully. One of the best book I have ever read!!

[@sarracene]

, maybe the author saw it was easier to tell the story by revolving about a main character; also, it might be a better sale to make an entertainment film from..

[@ebirac2007]

13:15 …it’s really much more than a story about rowing… it’s about the human heart 14:03 it’s a story about the American genius would define long odds about the democratic idealism comes face to face with the fascist cynicism…

[@eugenebotkins2469]

I think David Halbertstam did a better job in his book, “The Amateurs”.

[@Happy2BUp]

Please journal your opinion rather than sharing it. Who cares whether you liked the amateur better. Stating that as fact is a disservice to the writer giving the talk.

[@eugenebotkins2469]

@@Happy2BUp Disagree, Happy!